Aerial vehicle identification based on session connectivity

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A user equipment (UE) configured as a drone-coupled wireless device may be configured to transmit a message indicating information relating to the drone-coupled wireless device (e.g., aerial state, non-aerial state, airborne status, drone capability, quality of service (QoS) requirements of a drone service) to a base station. The message may also carry a session connectivity request, which the base station may use to determine that the UE is a drone-coupled wireless device, establish a bearer appropriate for a subscription service of the UE (e.g., as indicated by the drone capability), and apply appropriate protocols for the UE.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for wireless communication at a drone-coupled wireless device, comprising:
 receiving a trigger indicating a change in operation of the drone-coupled wireless device from a non-aerial state to an aerial state; 
 transmitting, to a serving network node, a session connectivity request message based at least in part on the trigger, the session connectivity request message comprising an identifier associated with an aerial state session connection; 
 receiving context information for a bearer associated with the aerial state session connection in response to the session connectivity request message; and 
 communicating with the serving network node via the bearer while in the aerial state. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 receiving the context information for the bearer comprises receiving a session address associated with the aerial state session connection; and 
 the communicating comprises communicating via the session address. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a power control scheme indication comprising a power configuration for the drone-coupled wireless device while in the aerial state; and 
 applying the power configuration based at least in part on the power control scheme indication. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger is received based at least in part on an operational state of a drone comprising the drone-coupled wireless device, a flight parameter of the drone, or a communication state of the drone. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger indicating the change in operation is a first trigger indicating the change in operation, and the method further comprising:
 receiving a second trigger indicating a change in operation of the drone-coupled wireless device from the aerial state to the non-aerial state; and 
 transmitting a request to deactivate the bearer for the aerial state session connection. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 receiving a session disconnect request message; and 
 releasing the context information for the bearer associated with the aerial state session connection based at least in part on the session disconnect request message. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the session connectivity request message is a first session connectivity request, the identifier associated with the aerial state is a first identifier, and the context information for the bearer associated with the aerial state session connection is first context information for a first bearer associated with the aerial state session connection, the method further comprising:
 transmitting, to the serving network node, a second session connectivity request message based at least in part on the second trigger, the second session connectivity request message comprising a second identifier associated with a non-aerial state session connection; 
 receiving second context information for a second bearer associated with the non-aerial state session connection in response to the second session connectivity request message; and 
 communicating with the serving network node via the second bearer while in the non-aerial state. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting, to the serving network node, an airborne status indication of the drone-coupled wireless device while in the aerial state. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the airborne status indication is transmitted via radio resource control (RRC) signaling, a medium access control (MAC) control element (MAC-CE), a physical-layer channel, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving aerial state neighbor cell information comprising at least one neighboring cell for measurement while in the aerial state; and 
 transmitting, to the serving network node while in the aerial state, a measurement report message comprising measurement information associated with the at least one neighboring cell. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting, to the serving network node, capability information comprising drone-coupled service subscription information. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifier comprises an access point name associated with the aerial state session connection. 
     
     
       13. A method for wireless communication at a source network node, comprising:
 receiving, from a drone-coupled wireless device served by the source network node, a session connectivity request message, the session connectivity request message comprising an identifier associated with an aerial state session connection; 
 determining capability information associated with the drone-coupled wireless device for a change in operation of the drone-coupled wireless device from a non-aerial state to an aerial state; 
 establishing a bearer for the aerial state session connection based at least in part on the capability information and the identifier; and 
 applying an aerial state protocol for the drone-coupled wireless device based at least in part on the aerial state session connection. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the capability information comprises drone-coupled service subscription information, the method further comprising:
 authorizing a drone-coupled service based at least in part on the drone-coupled service subscription information, wherein establishing the bearer for the aerial state session connection is further based at least in part on the authorization. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 receiving, from a home subscriber service (HSS), the drone-coupled service subscription information. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the aerial state protocol comprises at least one of a power control scheme for the drone-coupled wireless device for the aerial state, an aerial state handover protocol, a tracking area configuration for the aerial state, an antenna configuration for communicating with the drone-coupled wireless device, or one or more aerial state cell reselection parameters. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the drone-coupled wireless device, a measurement report message comprising measurement information associated with a target network node of a neighboring target cell; and 
 determining to perform a handover procedure of the drone-coupled wireless device to the target network node based at least in part on the measurement report message. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 transmitting a handover request to the target network node, the handover request comprising the capability information associated with the drone-coupled wireless device and the bearer for the aerial state session connection. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 determining a service or a quality of service (QoS) requirement associated with the aerial state, wherein the session connectivity request message is transmitted based at least in part on the determined service or the QoS requirement. 
 
     
     
       20. A method for wireless communication a target network node, comprising:
 receiving, from a source network node, a handover request for a drone-coupled wireless device, the handover request comprising a bearer and capability information associated with the drone-coupled wireless device; 
 initiating an access procedure for the drone-coupled wireless device based at least in part on the handover request; 
 determining that the drone-coupled wireless device has transitioned from a non-aerial state to an aerial state based at least in part on determining that the bearer is associated with an aerial state session connection; and 
 applying an aerial state protocol for the drone-coupled wireless device based at least in part on the determining that the drone-coupled wireless device has transitioned from the non-aerial state to the aerial state. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 20 , wherein the aerial state protocol comprises at least one of a power control scheme for the drone-coupled wireless device for the aerial state, an aerial state handover protocol, a tracking area configuration for the aerial state, an antenna configuration for communicating with the drone-coupled wireless device, or one or more aerial state cell reselection parameters. 
     
     
       22. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
 a processor; 
 memory in electronic communication with the processor; and 
 instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 receive a trigger indicating a change in operation of a drone-coupled wireless device from a non-aerial state to an aerial state; 
 transmit, to a serving network node, a session connectivity request message based at least in part on the trigger, the session connectivity request message comprising an identifier associated with an aerial state session connection; 
 receive context information for a bearer associated with the aerial state session connection in response to the session connectivity request message; and 
 communicate with the serving network node via the bearer while in the aerial state. 
 
 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein:
 receiving the context information for the bearer comprises receiving a session address associated with the aerial state session connection; and 
 the communicating comprises communicating via the session address. 
 
     
     
       24. The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 receive a power control scheme indication comprising a power configuration for the drone-coupled wireless device while in the aerial state; and 
 apply the power configuration based at least in part on the power control scheme indication. 
 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the trigger indicating the change in operation is a first trigger indicating the change in operation, and wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 receive a second trigger indicating a change in operation of the drone-coupled wireless device from the aerial state to the non-aerial state; and 
 transmit a request to deactivate the bearer for the aerial state session connection. 
 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 receive a session disconnect request message; and 
 release the context information for the bearer associated with the aerial state session connection based at least in part on the session disconnect request message. 
 
     
     
       27. The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the session connectivity request message is a first session connectivity request, the identifier associated with the aerial state is a first identifier, and the context information for the bearer associated with the aerial state session connection is first context information for a first bearer associated with the aerial state session connection; and wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 transmit, to the serving network node, a second session connectivity request message based at least in part on the second trigger, the second session connectivity request message comprising a second identifier associated with a non-aerial state session connection; 
 receive second context information for a second bearer associated with the non-aerial state session connection in response to the second session connectivity request message; and 
 communicate with the serving network node via the second bearer while in the non-aerial state. 
 
     
     
       28. The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 transmit, to the serving network node, an airborne status indication of the drone-coupled wireless device while in the aerial state. 
 
     
     
       29. The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the airborne status indication is transmitted via radio resource control (RRC) signaling, a medium access control (MAC) control element (MAC-CE), a physical-layer channel, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       30. The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 receive aerial state neighbor cell information comprising at least one neighboring cell for measurement while in the aerial state; and 
 transmit, to the serving network node while in the aerial state, a measurement report message comprising measurement information associated with the at least one neighboring cell.